Speeches

The Republic of Moldova can be proud that its constitution commits to a country in which all are equal, regardless of race, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, sex, opinion, political affiliation, property or social origin.

More than twenty years ago, the first global Human Development Report introduced the concept of sustainable human development. This was based on Amartya Sen’s idea that development means advancing the richness of human life - expanding the ability of all people to live long, healthy and creative lives, in the way they choose to live.

On behalf of the United Nations Team, we thank you for allowing us to share the United Nations Day with you. This celebration is being marked in every country across the world to promote the vision of the UN Charter. That vision is for a world where durable peace, human rights, and social progress benefit everyone. Such a vision seems as relevant for our world today as it was when the UN was founded 69 years ago.

It is a great pleasure to address this prominent audience on such an important occasion related to women’s political empowerment and leadership - a topic of great importance to the United Nations and to me personally.

I am delighted to address this distinguished audience and take this opportunity to thank the Minister of Defence for this opportunity to discuss the heart of the work of the United Nations, namely peace and security for everyone. In doing so, I will take a perspective that spans the three founding pillars of the United Nations – namely peace and security, human rights and development.

When the Goals were set in 2000, they represented a shared global vision for a world in which poverty would be made history. The Goals mobilized the commitment of all to work together in partnerships across countries and communities.

At the time the United Nations was established, many parts of the world were not even independent, much less democratic. Still, the UN Charter assumed that governing by the will of the people was the only way to secure the three interlinked goals of the United Nations: peace, human rights, and development for everyone. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights went on to identify the right of all people to take part in the government of their country as a universal human right.